Ragnarok: Alpha and Omega-Chapter 19 - 18: An Unexpected Offer: The Scout from Red Phoenix

Ragnarok peered through the peephole. Outside, a man in a suit and hat, resembling a detective, stood waiting. He knocked again, his rhythm slow and deliberate.

"I know someone is in there," the man called out. "Just open up—I have an offer for you."

Ragnarok's fingers tightened on the doorknob. The man's voice was calm, unhurried—too steady for a mere recruiter. His stance was relaxed, yet there was something measured about it, something controlled. If this was a rogue Ranker, opening the door could be a mistake.

Still, his gut told him this man wasn't here for a fight. He hesitated a moment longer, then decided to gamble.

He opened the door.

The man removed his hat with a polite nod before placing it back on. Through the peephole, he had looked dangerous. Up close, he seemed less threatening—just a middle-aged man with a sharp gaze and a hardworking air about him.

"Come in," Ragnarok said, stepping aside. "Sorry, the place is cramped."

The man waved dismissively. "No worries. Mine is worse, so I'm used to it."

Ragnarok gestured for him to sit. As the man settled into the chair, he leaned forward slightly, resting an arm on the table between them.

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"Alright," he said. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Sam, and I'm a scout agent. I work for a small guild named Red Phoenix. We're small now, but one day, we'll grow big."

He met Ragnarok's gaze, his expression unwavering. "I came to recruit you and your brother—or best friend. Sorry, but I did a background check on you two. I know you both came from an orphanage and worked in a pizza parlor for years. And now, you're Rankers."

Ragnarok crossed his arms. "I thought agents usually approach new Rankers at the end of the tournament?"

Sam smiled. "That's true. But I prefer to catch mine early—before others start fighting over them."

Ragnarok tilted his head slightly, studying the man. "And what exactly would we be doing in your organization?"

Sam leaned back, one hand resting casually on his knee. "We'll provide you with a proper place to stay and train. You'll get access to dungeons to test your abilities. Essentially, we're offering you a path as dungeon divers."

Ragnarok let the words sit for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "And what's in it for us?"

Sam chuckled. "We've seen your living conditions. We can get you a better home, something permanent instead of a rented apartment. More than that, we want you to be one of the Rankers that promote our guild. If you rise through the Ranker Ladder under our guild's name, it will be a huge boost for us."

Ragnarok exhaled sharply. "That's it? What about dungeon diving? What do we gain from that?"

"For dungeons ranked E to B," Sam explained, "we take 45% of your loot—resources, monster parts, treasures. But for A and S-ranked dungeons, we only take 20% since we know those are life-threatening. We're not greedy."

Ragnarok stared at him, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he twisted his neck, the tension in the air shifting.

"But in my last fight, I didn't show any real skill," Ragnarok said. "So you're actually here for Jason, aren't you?"

Sam gulped. Then, as if giving up, he sighed. "Yes."

Ragnarok smirked. "Thought so."

Sam quickly added, "But I do value you. You noticed your opponent's power before anyone else. That piqued my interest. And since you didn't show any abilities of your own, we don't actually know what you're capable of yet."

Ragnarok leaned forward, voice lowering. "Alright, then let me tell you something. My ability is just... physical endurance. Not much. Just a bit tougher than normal." His eyes met Sam's. "Still want me?"

Sam didn't hesitate. "Yes. If you knew that but still entered the tournament, that tells me you have something even more valuable—the will to fight."

He smiled, looking off to the side for a moment. "When I was your age, I didn't have that will."

Ragnarok watched as Sam's expression turned wistful.

"My power?" Sam continued. "I can see through objects. Sounds useful, right? I thought it would help me climb the ranks. But instead, people just mocked me. Said I was a loser. Some even called me a pervert." He let out a dry laugh. "But the leader of Red Phoenix took me in. Made me useful. Trained me."

His eyes held a quiet strength as he looked back at Ragnarok. "With his help, I learned to use my ability to assist the Ranker Police, and even got some recognition. But in the end, I retired early. Now, I help our leader scout for recruits."

Ragnarok studied him carefully. Sam was no ordinary recruiter. He wasn't desperate—he was methodical. He had chosen them for a reason.

Sam leaned forward, locking eyes with Ragnarok. "The big guilds? They scoop up talent like vultures. But us? We believe in shaping legends before they're legends. And right now, I see one sitting in front of me."

Silence hung between them for a moment.

Ragnarok finally leaned back, a small smirk forming on his lips. "Okay, when Jason gets back, we'll think about it."

Sam brought out a business card and handed it to Ragnarok. Sam tipped his hat once more, flashing a polite smile. "Please, consider our offer."

With that, he left.

Ragnarok stared at the card for a moment, tapping it against his palm. A 'small guild with big ambitions,' huh? He wasn't sure what Jason would think—but something about Sam's words lingered.

A while later, Jason kicked the door open, arms overloaded with groceries, a bag of snacks dangling from his teeth.

I let out a sigh. "Man, you don't know how hungry I am. Where did you even go?"

Jason grinned. "I saw an ad for a small shooting competition while we were heading home. Powers were allowed, so I used mine to win. The prize money covered the groceries."